Marked police car given parking ticket whilst on emergency call out

30 December 2019, 17:10

An £85 parking fine has been slapped on a marked car whilst police officers were attending an emergency call.

Officers called the company - which has not been named - to explain and ask for the ticket to be waived, but were asked to write a letter of appeal.

They tweeted: "We've been issued a parking ticket for a marked police vehicle by a local car park.

"The vehicle was attending an emergency. We've called the company to explain.

"They require us to spend time writing a letter of appeal. Please hold calling 999 whilst we do that!"

Luke Pollard, the Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton & Devonport, described the incident as "ridiculous".

He tweeted: "This is ridiculous. If I can help please let me know."

A spokeswoman for Devon and Cornwall Police said force vehicles were exempt from parking tickets when on operational duties.

At the time of the ticket, the fully-marked police car from Crownhill police station in Plymouth was responding to an incident at a pub in the city.

"The police sergeant for A Section Response, Plymouth contacted the company that issued the ticket, requesting that the ticket is quashed as it was a marked police vehicle being used for operational purposes at that time," the force spokeswoman said.

"The firm refused and said the appeals process must be followed.

"It is fair to say that officers would rather be spending their time responding to 999 calls than dealing with an appeal for a parking ticket."